'Appalling' stamps way off the mark, Royal Mail told

FIVE new first class stamps showing fake hallmarks were branded "appalling" and "illegal" yesterday.

Contentious: the five new stamps from Royal Mail due to be issued on the sixth of February

The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths said that the Royal Mail stamps, due to go on sale at post offices on February 6, should be scrapped. Robin Buchanan-Dunlop, a Goldsmiths' Company spokesman, said: "A hallmark comes under the Hallmarking Act 1973. It is illegal to make a mark which purports to be a hallmark or could be mistaken for a hallmark where there is intent to deceive. They are appalling. Royal Mail should not issue them."

The set of "occasions" stamps were designed for use on social mail on occasions such as St Valentine's Day, birthdays, weddings, births or moving house. They show fake hallmarks, printed with a silver-sheen effect, spelling out the words "Love", "Cheers", "ABC", "Thanks" and "Welcome".

Mr Buchanan-Dunlop said: "People who are uninitiated may think that they are approved hallmarks or that anybody can use a hallmark which is not a proper hallmark. The joint committee of the Assay Offices will be writing to Royal Mail about this matter which we take very seriously."

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Only Britain's four Assay Offices: in London (the Goldsmiths' Company), Birmingham, Sheffield and Edinburgh, are allowed to apply a hallmark. Peter Jennings, a stamp expert, said: "Once again Royal Mail has produced a highly contentious and controversial set of stamps without proper consultation.

"I reluctantly agree with the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths and the UK Assay Offices that Royal Mail should shred these stamps."